1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatuses for the application of wrapped articles to package containers and more particularly to bucket wheels and transferring devices in such apparatuses.
2. Prior Art
In the prior art it is has been frequently found that other items must be added to a package container for food. Such other items are typically a package containing a straw or a spoon, etc. which is provided in a small bag which must adhered to the sideface of the package container for the food by an automatic machine. In such a case, after continuously conveying the package container for the food, the prior art method includes a bucket wheel for transferring the package container from the conveyor. The rotation of the bucket wheel carries the package container to a position wherein the small bag-like package containing the straw or spoon is adhered to the package container. In the prior art such a method requires a wheel for supplying the package container, i.e. the package container to the bucket wheel, as well as a wheel for taking it out of the bucket wheel. Such a construction is limiting in the type of package containers which could be carried, i.e. package containers of cylindrical shape. For this reason there is no way to handle other shaped package containers but to make the structure of the apparatus more complicated unless the sectional view of the package container is circular in shape. Otherwise it is difficult to handle with a bucket wheel.
In addition since the small package containing the straw or spoon is sometimes longer than the package container is tall or wide, it is necessary that the small package be adhered to the package container in an oblique direction on the diagonal of the sideface of the package container. Therefore, an automatic adhering device, which adheres these bag-like packages obliquely to the food package containers is required and conventionally employs a method of conveying the package container which is maintained in an oblique state and adhering the small bag-like package which is provided in a horizontal or perpendicular direction to the package container. The above-described method makes it necessary to set the package container coming out of a bucket wheel to be in an oblique state so that the structure of the automatic adhering machine is unavoidably complicated. In addition to this, although there is the possibility of setting the shifting direction of the bag-like package obliquely across the conveying direction of the package container such an arrangement has a defect in being unable to form the device to be flat since each of the mechanisms, which are arranged in different directions, cannot be located in the same plane.